Torn between 44sp or 41mag for concealed carry...

After visiting a gun shop i just heard from a buddy of mine, and i came across a 41mag in snub nose, ss, ported, by taurus for $350. I was going to get a Charter arms bulldog 44sp pug for $300 in either ss hammered or black hammerless from either GB seller or a local dealer.....

I belive the 44sp would be better for self def as it is slower bullet, however the charter arms feels...cheap...and i cant bring my self to pay for a 44sp when i can get a 44mag for a "lil" more? I have never shot a 41mag, i have only heard some talk. and consensus is that you should reload....but i dont.....ammo seems to be at about the same as a 44mag.

there was a S&W 44mag ss snubby for $725 but it is out of my budget.

My carry scenarios will typically be some in city time, mostly in car, or doing repairs at customers houses. Also will be working in the woods, hunting and i live in the woods so killing bear, coyotes and mtn lions etc as defensive needs may occor.

please no posts about 38sp or 357mag.

I have done some google searches, and most of it is opinion based on nothing to do with balistics, self defense (many are refering to hunting)

so i get a 41mag or 44sp....hurmmm?

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Seven For Sure

April 28, 2012, 07:06 PM

44 special over 41 mag. Taurus has a small-medium .40 revolver. I had a CA .44 Pug and you're right, they're cheap feeling. I sold mine a month and 300 rds. or so after buying it. 41 mag has VERY few bullets or loaded ammo suitable for SD against humans. They'd make a fine hiking gun. S&W discontinued their 44 special nightguard but IMO, it's the best carry gun in the caliber ever made. It's an L frame, the 10mm, 41 and 44 mag NG's are N frames.

Squeaky Wheel

April 28, 2012, 07:13 PM

I would caution you with Charter Arms Bulldog. I bought a used one very recently and after shooting it I concluded that I didn't feel comfortable trusting my life with that revolver. It felt very cheap. I had the same thoughts regarding 44 Special. I still think that the 44 Special round is a fine one, but the handgun choices are very limited. I'm currently leaning towards 45 ACP for primary carry and 380 for secondary.

BaltimoreBoy

April 28, 2012, 09:06 PM

44 Special ammo is not terribly common.
41 Mag seems to be even less common.

Honestly, in a small gun I think 44 has to be more controllable - important in SD.

I'm happy with my 70's era Bulldog. Can't say anything about the one you looked at. Charter quality evidently has had ups and downs over the years.

bk42261

April 28, 2012, 09:09 PM

Voted before I saw the "other" option. I would go with a .45 ACP myself, for ammo cost and availability, but a .44 Special would be second on the list.
Big bullets and big holes are a good thing in a defensive firearm in my opinion.

gofastman

April 28, 2012, 09:11 PM

the Corbon DPX 44spl round is just gnarly!
http://ammo.ar15.com/project/Ballistic_Gel_Experiments/BARNES/Barnes_.44spl_200gr_TAC-XP.pdf

the 200gr Gold Dot looks decent.

Arkansas Paul

April 28, 2012, 09:24 PM

I wouldn't personally go for a .41 mag for CC unless I loaded it down. I would think that overpenetration would be an issue with the big magnums, which could come into play. Just my opinion.

gofastman

April 28, 2012, 10:05 PM

I would think that overpenetration would be an issue with the big magnums, which could come into play. Just my opinion.

Whats over-penetration to you?
I feel that unless we are talking about 24+" of gel penetration, its a non issue.
Either way, the solution is simple, use expanding bullets.

Arizonagunrunner

April 28, 2012, 10:29 PM

Didn
t you just have a post about getting a Charter Bulldog in 44 , and your wife wont let you have it loaded on a live round?
44 Special all the way, you can figure out the reasons I am sure. I will stick to my two 44's and leave it at that.

Cluster Bomb

April 29, 2012, 10:51 AM

I wouldn't personally go for a .41 mag for CC unless I loaded it down

Corbon sells a 180gr.

Didn
t you just have a post about getting a Charter Bulldog in 44

yes, however, the charter arms felt cheap, and didnt really like it....as it cant handle heavy loads, felt just cheaply made, and something i didnt feel comfortable with carrying.

just trying to get insight on my options that i have and weighing them out.

I am trying to save the cash for a gun show on the 5th....but this new gun shop may empty my bank accounts...lol he litterly has over 10k guns, and is a world famous gun smith...that was called to help with the JFK shooting, can you guess his name?! lol maybe i can get him to sign my dads old lever action......lol

Loosedhorse

April 29, 2012, 11:07 AM

For hunting or animal SD, both .44 Special and .41 Mag offer great commercial loads or handloads.

For SD against human attackers, there are better .44 Special loads available IHMO than .41 Mag loads. All the commercial .41 Mag loads except the Silvertip seem geared toward hunting; and even the Silvertip probably has more velocity, blast, flash and recoil than it needs to for SD.Corbon sells a 180gr.Corbon sells a 170 gr JHP at 1275fps, and a 180gr DPX at 1300. Slow either down to 1100, and now we're talking.

JERRY

April 29, 2012, 11:13 AM

between the calibers in a small 5 shooter id take the .44spl.

between the two guns id take the taurus.

BB makes a descent ".41 special" round if the magnum is too much for you. also, for a little over $100.00 you can have that .41 magnum "MagNa-Ported" which litterally cuts recoil in half for me.

if it were between a Taurus .44spl and a Taurus .41mag id opt for the .44spl. i just have not had any luck with the two charter arms bulldog .44spls ive owned in the past.

and .44 special is easy to find on the shelf for me in my area, though not at wal-mart.....here are off the shelf cci 200gr. gold dots, win 200gr. sthp, and hornady 180gr. xtps.

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/JerryS357/102_8993.jpg

Samari Jack

April 29, 2012, 11:33 AM

I keep a .44 special, older Bulldog in my glove box. Mine is tight and very reliable. Recoil is manageable with moderate loads. Mine doesn't feel cheaply made, however it is not heavy when compared to magnums. Weight doesn't necessarily equate to cheap.

The sights make mine a 15-20 ft gun, not a range gun. Not really designed for 10,000+ round range use.

Loosedhorse

April 29, 2012, 11:44 AM

BB makes a descent ".41 special" round if the magnum is too much for you.Haven't seen it. I have seen it offered by Reed's, but I don't know much about them.

Stantdm

April 29, 2012, 11:55 AM

I voted other. My choice would be a 45 LC or a 45 ACP. If you want to shoot a "snubby" the 45 ACP is a very good round.

MachIVshooter

April 29, 2012, 12:10 PM

yes, however, the charter arms felt cheap, and didnt really like it....as it cant handle heavy loads, felt just cheaply made, and something i didnt feel comfortable with carrying.

How it feels to you only you can decide, but they are not poorly built. If you're one of those who equates weight with quality, then I suppose the Charters will seem low quailty to you.

There have basically been four iterations of the gun, with the first and the current being the good ones, Charco and Charter 2000 labeled guns being the ones to avoid.

I have a current (2011) manufacture Bulldog Pug, and it's a good little wheelgun. They will take stout loads, though a steady diet of them is going to take it's toll on the 20 ounce revolver (and your hand).

I'm not going to try to convince you to like the CA guns, but I will say that thinking you're taking a step up with a Taurus is pretty backwards. If your Charter has a problem, they will actually fix the gun.

rcmodel

April 29, 2012, 12:23 PM

A 41 Mag at 35,000 PSI is going to be a real screaming beast out of a snubby without ear protection.
Shock & Awe on both ends for sure!

Spring for the .44 mag snubby and carry .44 specials or lighter magnum loads. These guns are a little bigger but a little more versatile.

tomrkba

April 30, 2012, 08:41 PM

Buy only Ruger or S&W. Some will say new production S&W revolvers are not very good for a variety of reasons (THE LOCK is only one reason). I prefer Ruger because they're very easy to work on.

My vote is for 44 Magnum. You get more versatility and fun out of the cartridge. Remington 180 grain jacketed soft points are a hoot because of the giant, funky, orange fireball when fired.

You can still shoot 44 Special out of it. Speer Gold Dot short barrel 44 Magnum doesn't have much more recoil and blast. I guess get both, test, and see which you prefer. Or not: load three 44 Special and three 44 Magnum cartridges.

BlackSky

April 30, 2012, 10:22 PM

.44 Special works good for me.

http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/667/dsc06713g.jpg

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/2379/34555421.jpg

Meeteetse

May 1, 2012, 12:27 AM

If you can find one I suggest a S&W 625 3" 45 acp revolver. I have the 4" version and it is a great defensive handgun. If big critters are a concern, definitely go for the 44 mag.

kevin7769

May 1, 2012, 01:14 AM

I voted for the 41mag. Would love to get one of those Taurus Titanium 5 shot's or a S&W NG357's.. Sure recoil would suck, but then it will in 44mag also. Could always go for the 41special load just like with the 44 you use the 44special..
@Black Sky, I like the grips...

ArchAngelCD

May 1, 2012, 02:47 AM

If you want something that begins with a 4 I would also go with a .45 ACP revolver on ammo prices alone. You MUST practice with your SD handgun and that will be hard to do if you can't find ammo and when you do it costs too much to buy more than 1 box.

The .45 ACP is a proven man-stopper so you aren't giving anything away by carrying one and will do just as good a job as a .44 Special.

emmie

May 1, 2012, 06:36 AM

early model CA 44spl bobed hammer,removed front sight. shooting light to medium 200gr cast. working on pistol #3 as first to wore out,over the 35+ years.
trying to get a ruger sp101 no sights and have it reamed and rebarreled to 44 spl. wait on ruger,I'll be dead
long live the 44spl.
as someons states on here all my guns start with the #4 in cal.

thank you for your time
emmie

Cemo

May 1, 2012, 07:57 AM

My carry scenarios will typically be some in city time, mostly in car, or doing repairs at customers houses. Also will be working in the woods, hunting and i live in the woods so killing bear, coyotes and mtn lions etc as defensive needs may occor.

I do not own a currently manufactured Taurus or Charter Firearms. My only experience was with a couple of Charter Undercover .38's back in the 70's, both of which I stretched the frames by using the popular at the time Super-Vel 110 gr. 38's. So I blame this issue on Super-Vel and my inexperience, not Charter Arms. Currently I see a lot of forum bashing on these two firearm companies by people who have had some bad experiences with their firearms. Now I know a budget is a budget, but from your carry scenarios, ie. CCW, car gun, doing repairs at customers homes, defense against bears, mtn lions and coyotes, I offer this suggestion. Look at the Glock 29. The compact lightweight 10mm just might be the best fit in your carry scenarios. However will require a little budget adjustment. I personally carry a Ruger SP101 .357 Mag. while out an about on my Mid-Missouri farm.

Stantdm

May 1, 2012, 03:05 PM

The recoil is manageable for most shooters. The round is a proven "stopper" after a few wars where it was our standard service round. A person needs practice to become proficient with a handgun. The 45 acp rounds are far cheaper than the .41 or the .44 mag so one should shoot a lot more. It is also available at most of the hardware and farm stores in the less populated areas of the country ............. neither of the other two are.

mdauben

May 1, 2012, 06:14 PM

If you want to shoot a "snubby" the 45 ACP is a very good round.
Why?
I can think of a number of reasons, assuming you are looking for a big-bore CCW revolver. Its a proven effective SD round. Its widely available in effective SD loadings. Its more "controlable" in light weight guns than .44 mag or .41 mag. Some people argue that a "full moon" clip will eject more quickly and cleanly than 5-6 individual cartridges. While not "cheap" it seems to be a bit less expensive than .44spl, .44mag, or .41mag ammo (SD or practice). Personally I would pick a .45ACP revolver over a .44 mag or .41mag every time. The .44spl does have the advantage in that it can be found in somewhat smaller, 5-shot revolvers, however.

OldCavSoldier

May 2, 2012, 12:56 AM

.44 Mag snubby because you can always shoot .44 Spl out of it, and still shoot the .44 Mag if you ever need it. Also, in my neck of the woods, .44 Mag is a helluva lot more available than .44 Spl.

SwampWolf

May 3, 2012, 08:32 PM

I once owned an all steel, L-frame Smith Model 696, chambered in .44 Special but eventually traded it because I found it to be too big and heavy for carrying concealed duties. I eventually bought a Taurus Model 415, chambered in .41 Magnum (my only Taurus firearm to date), having a 2 1/2" long ported barrel. The revolver has been flawless thus far but admittedly has less than 500 rounds fired through it to date so the "jury is still out" in terms of the revolver's ultimate reliability and durability grades.

What I've found astonishing about this revolver is how manageable and controllable it is with quick, repeat shots. I initially thought that repeat shots with full-house .41 Magnums would be more than a handful. Mine is the all steel version; not the titanium model. The lighter weight version might prove to be a real handful. :eek:

Shoobee

May 3, 2012, 08:38 PM

It all depends on why you are carrying this weapon.

A gang of glock boys will make short work of you. In a firefight against semi-auto's you need a semi-auto as well.

If the chances are that you are only up against 1 perp, then a revolver would probably be fine though.

Eb1

May 3, 2012, 11:32 PM

If a Bulldog feels cheap, try and find a Rossi M720. I found one, but I looked for 3 years. I had a Gun Smith fix it up a little. Love the .44 SPC.